Disclaimers: Don't own any part of Gundam Wing nor it's characters. Merely borrowing them for a little torture.
Warnings: Shounen-ai (because I suck at yaoi) , major A.U, some OOC I think, probably future mpreg
Fates and Choices
Part 10: Of Friends and Lessons
"Enough already," Duo complained. He was never going to get used to all this poking and prodding. He never remembered poking at pregnant Shifters like that back at his own tribe and decided that the little blond just enjoyed torturing him.
"Duo," Quatre scolded. "It's for your own good. Now be a good boy and shut up."
Wufei snickered and got a full glare from the Shifter lying on the bed.
"How is prodding at Ancient knows what going to be for my own good?" Duo winced as pale fingers hit a tender spot on his belly, now six months swollen with child. "Stop that! And that was me relaying a complaint from the thing you are prodding at. Now stop it." He slapped the Healer's hands away and struggled to sit up, a delicate endeavour when one had a large lump of something pressing one down.
Quatre sighed. "You are the worst patient I have ever had!" He complained, helping the braided Shifter to sit.
"I'm not your patient." Duo argued, pulling on a shirt made specially to accommodate his expanding girth. "Having a baby is not a sickness, you asshole."
"He's getting touchy, isn't he?" Wufei observed. He too stepped forward, helping Duo off the bed. His grip tightened momentarily as the violet eyed Shifter tried to find his balance. "Okay?" He asked.
Duo nodded. "This is all Heero's fault, you know that, don't you?"
Quatre and Wufei shared a look before rolling their eyes at him. "Yes, we know," they chorused together.
"He did this to me."
"Yes, he did."
"You don't have to humour me," Duo pouted, knowing he was being a baby about the whole thing but was unable to help it.
"Yes, we do," Wufei told him. "We are under strict orders by your mate to agree to anything you say."
Duo huffed, unable to find something suitable to say. "Can I leave now?"
Quatre sighed. "You are the worst patient I have ever had," he repeated mournfully.
"Thank you," Duo turned and walked towards the door.
"Quatre, I brought the herbs you wanted. Is it the righ…." Trowa stared at his leader's mate who was exiting their dwelling, the rest of his sentence dwindling to nothing. He quickly turned away from the imploring violet eyes. "You have guests, I'll be back later." He was gone scant seconds later.
"Why won't he forgive me?" Duo asked in a small voice, his hand picking at his braid, something that he did only when extremely upset. "I made you well, didn't I?" He raised shimmering violet eyes to aqua ones.
The blond Healer enveloped his friend in a tight hug, motioning Wufei to leave them alone. "I'll smack him when I have the time," he muttered lowly to himself. "Duo, he's not angry at you. He's angry at himself and he thinks you are angry at him."
"Why?" One question, filled with heartbreak. "It was my fault. Why should I be angry with him?" Duo couldn't seem to stop the tears from coming. Damnable emotions. They were making him crazy.
Quatre led them to a low workbench and lowered them on it, slim hands stroking at Duo's braid soothingly. He still shuddered at the memory of that night, two months ago. He and the other Healers were on their last strength. He wasn't sure if they would have healed. He had felt Trowa's emotions running rampant. Fear, agony, anger. The final one projected at one defenceless violet eyed Healer who already had an esteem problem at not being able to carry out his duty as a Healer. The blond would have reassured his friend but he had no more strength to do it except to cling onto life and try to Heal his flagging life force. He was getting so tired of fighting and had felt more than one fellow Healer ready to give up on life, despite the anchors in their lives, when a sweet power came rushing into all of them. It felt distinctly of Duo and of something else. So familiar, like all their energy signatures rolled into one.
Realisation hit. Duo, Healing. Duo can't Heal now. Quatre was jolted awake with renewed power and threw out a thought to stop Duo for hurting himself, but it was too late, the power dissipated and the presence within his mind faded.
"Quatre," Trowa exclaimed, relief plain in his voice, his mate still tightly clutched to his broad chest.
"Love," the blond rushed to sooth the fear that was radiating from his mate. "I'm fine now. Let me go."
Trowa tightened the hold slightly, keeping his struggling mate from escaping. "You need to rest; you had been through so much."
"I'm fine, Trowa," Quatre insisted, his aqua eyes scanning the room and with a shock realisation that the other Healers were now awake and looking rather confused. Very much like the state he was in. Duo had Healed them, but where was he? "Where's Duo?' He asked Trowa, catching his eye.
Trowa kept silent, avoiding the blond's penetrating gaze. "I sort of chased him away."
"What?" Quatre exclaimed. "Explain." He was able to put all sort of threats into one single word.
Trowa brokenly told him about how he accused the braided Healer of killing Quatre and how his inability to assist in Healing was his own doing. The next thing the auburn haired Shifter knew, he was on the ground, his cheek stinging and his mate standing over him, cradling his hand.
"Trowa Barton, I love you more than life itself, but if anything happens to Duo, I will never forgive you." With that, the irate Healer stomped out of the room, followed by the other Healers, who had undoubtedly overheard the conversation and was unwilling to look at Trowa in the eye.
The tall Shifter sat there, feeling twin rejection from tribe and mate. He knew he deserved it, and once more paraded the cruel things he threw at the defenceless Duo, letting his conscience bore a hole in his soul. He never meant anything of it, it just came out but he knew he would have to pay the price for his reckless tongue. He had come to love the braided whirlwind that had so charmed his tribe chief and knew that if anything did happen to Duo, he would kill himself first.
Quatre was torn between running a search party for the missing Healer or pacing. He knew Heero had taken a party of Shifters out with him, some of them the best trackers they have. After all, how far can one distraught pregnant Shifter go? As the night wore on, it was apparent to Quatre, very far. He now regretted hitting Trowa. He did understand what motivated his mate to say all those things. Fear was a very virulent factor in many cases verbal diarrhoea. It wasn't understandable but not completely forgivable.
"Where are they?" Quatre cried. "They should be back by now."
Quat? Are you all right?
"DUO?" Quatre nearly screamed both telepathically as well as out loud. There was an explosion of voices, wanting assurances that the Healer who Healed death was on his way back with none the worse for wear.
Quat, sleepy. Can I sleep now?
How are you feeling? Quatre raised his hand to halt the commotion. Duo sounded fine, except more than a little drowsy. Not bone weary, just more like a kitten being roused from a nap.
Sleepy Duo repeated.
Baby? The blond Healer almost dreaded to ask that question, but he could almost see the smile on Duo's heart shaped face.
Kicking
Quatre sighed, relieved. Rest then, I will be here when you get back
Night
A Duo-bearing Heero stalked into the village scant moments later and Quatre had to suppress a smile at the purring form of his friend cuddled closed under his mate's chin. He was sure if he even moved his lips upward a little, Heero would have decked him. The tribe chief flatly ordered Quatre to look at his mate's welfare and seemed to be on a mission to search out someone and unfortunately for Heero, the Healer could easily guess who.
"Duo needs you," was all Quatre had to say for Heero to stay by his mate's side until the next morning.
The braided Healer woke up bright eyed and extremely cheery and absolutely forbade Heero and Wufei to do any harm to Trowa. When orders didn't work, the duplicitous Healer resorted to Quatre's assistance and tears. And that, was history. But it would be days before Quatre would speak to Trowa again to reconcile and with Heero and Wufei, it had been weeks. It was Duo's constant nagging that caused the reconciliation.
"You don't blame him?" Quatre asked his friend one day as they worked side by side sorting herbs at his workbench.
"I would feel the same way about it, if the positions were reversed," Duo said, simply. "But, he doesn't seem to think so." He looked crestfallen. Then, he had quickly changed the subject, not allowing Quatre to bring it up again. It wasn't until that day that Quatre realised Duo still blamed himself for what happened to the Healers and mistakenly assumed Trowa's taciturnity with him was based on anger and not guilt.
"I'll speak to him," Quatre promised, rubbing circles into a sobbing Duo's back.
"No, don't," Duo choked out. "I don't want him to be forced to be friends with me again." He scrubbed at his tears and forced a smile on his face. "See, all better. No need."
Quatre stared at the retreating back of his friend, at a loss of what to say. He didn't even know when this misunderstanding for this far. He, for one, will not let it go on for long. It took him a while to track Trowa down and found the tall Shifter at his favourite hiding place by the river, surrounded by a myriad of animals. The scattered when they saw him.
Trowa turned and gifted his mate with a smile. But even Quatre could see that the smile didn't reach his eyes.
"You have to speak with Duo, love," Quatre settled himself next to his mate, letting Trowa enfold him in his embrace.
Trowa sighed. "He doesn't seem to want to speak to me. I don't think I should force my attentions from him when clearly he doesn't want the apology."
"Trowa," Quatre scolded. "He thinks you are still angry with him." He turned to look directly into Trowa's green eyes, seeing shock there.
"But," the tall Shifter spluttered. "It's my fault, how…"
"Just go talk to him, please? Let him apologise to you, then you apologise to him, whatever, but I really don't like him under such pressure. It's not doing him or his baby any favours."
"Is the child well?" Trowa asked, instantly concerned. Over the past few months, the welfare of the violet eyed Healer as well as his unborn child had become the concern of the entire tribe and Duo couldn't go very far without at least one tribe member dogging his every move.
"He's fine," Quatre assured. "He's more aware than a normal baby at the same stage of expectancy, and I suspect it is due to the run in with the Ancient." An almost longing tone entered Quatre's voice.
Trowa understood his mate's desire instantly. The Ancient was the source of all Shifter's powers, but it was more pronounced with the Healers. To meet the Ancient was an honour for any Shifter, but it meant all the more for a Healer. Duo had been frustratingly close mouthed about the whole experience, as it was extremely private, but all the Healers that night shared a small part of the Ancient's awesome power. He doubt Quatre would ever forget that night for as long as he lived.
"He still won't speak about it?" Trowa guessed.
Quatre shook his head. "I doubt he ever will. It is the same as you not wanting to speak about what you saw in the Dark Lands." He shuddered once again, realising how close he came to losing Trowa and who he had to thank for his continued existence. He brought their lips together, his tongue teasing his mate's lips lightly. Trowa deepened the kiss just as Quatre tried to pull away, his hand grasping the back of the blond's neck firmly. Their tongues enjoyed an intricate dance and coherent thoughts fled.
"I want you," Trowa whispered against Quatre's soft lips.
"Here?" Quatre breathed, shocked. "In the open?" But he was caving under the gentle assault of his mate's hands on his body. His breath quickened as Trowa's warm hands crept under his shirt, running slowly over smooth white skin.
"Who is there to look?" Trowa murmured against the Healer's smooth neck, laying small kisses down it to his shoulder.
"The… animals," Quatre gasped.
"Let them look, they need the lesson," Trowa grinned mischievously, lowering his mate onto the Forest floor.
tbc….
Limes/lemon or anything that remotely has to do with citrus are so not my thing.
G-boys: We can tell.
Tsu: That was a cheap shot.